1st & 3rd Mondays

April 20–August 15

5–8pm

Yes, we really will be working on our entries for the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest! This is a semi-instructed class, meaning Ang will be working on their own contest entry, but available to provide some guidance and answer questions. Drop-ins are welcome, but students should be seriously interested in creating an original artwork in accordance with the competition guidelines (regardless of whether they opt to submit the work into the competition).

Sliding Scale $10–$20 per class. Cash or Venmo at the door.

I won't be selling online tickets for this series! Please compete this form to RSVP for the series, even if you can only come to some of the sessions. If you'll be joining us in the studio for the first time, you can also text me at (352) 514-9889 and we'll make sure you arrive in one piece!

Monday Night Duck Club is going to be a fun time! Bring snacks, arrive late or leave early, and maybe we'll even screen some relevant films, like The Million Dollar Duck documentary and Fargo.

Students under 18 are also welcome to join Monday Night Duck Club in order to create artwork for submission to the Junior Duck Stamp Competition next Spring.

What is the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest?

Established in 1934, The Federal Duck Stamp Contest is an annual competition sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to select the artwork for the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the "Duck Stamp". It is the only juried art competition regulated and run by the federal government.

Revenue from Duck Stamp sales goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. The Duck Stamp is sold for $25 — yes, dollars! — and approximately 98% of the purchase price is used to acquire and protect wetland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since its inception, the program has raised more than $1.3 billion and protected over 6 million acres of vital habitat. The stamp serves as a required federal hunting license for waterfowl hunters age 16 and older, and as a free pass to any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee.

Contest Regulations

The formal guidelines for the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest can be found here, and there's an explanatory video of the rules by content creator and duck stamp influencer Kira Sabin here!

For this year's competition, the eligible species are:

• Cackling Goose (new species!)

• Blue-winged Teal

• Mottled Duck

• Long-tailed Duck

• King Eider

The rules and deadlines for the Junior Duck Stamp Competition are a bit different, and can be found here.

Materials

In accordance with the contest regulations, you will need:

• Original reference materials

• A sturdy, thin 9"x 12" surface (i.e., ⅛" masonite, heavy paper, or artboard)

• Media, e.g. oil paint. The contest does not specify a material; only that the work is 2D and not digital.

• Tools and other materials (brushes, gesso, etc)

• 9"x 12" matboard, cut to a 1" border for a final presentation of 7"x 10"